Jack Grealish key for Aston Villa as they welcome in-form Everton

Aston Villa continue their battle for Premier League survival when they welcome Everton to Villa Park on Saturday.

The reverse fixture at Goodison Park saw a comfortable win for the Toffees, with goals from Phil Jagielka, Romelu Lukaku and Seamus Coleman getting the better of Villa back in October.

Form

Aston Villa - Sherwood's arrival at Villa Park has resulted in an upturn in performances. However, the club haven't broken any records in recent weeks. Throughout the past six league fixtures, the Midlands outfit have recorded two victories and one draw, claiming seven points in total. Similar form should see them survive, but the supporters are in for a nervy ride.

Matches Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Points

Everton

6

5

1

0

16

Aston Villa

6

2

1

3

7

Everton - The outlook is significantly brighter at Everton, who, sitting pretty in mid-table, have won four of their last six league fixtures (W4 D1 L1). In fact, the Toffees have taken as many points (16) in their last six league fixtures as they did in the previous 19 matches. However, with just one win on the road during this period, this match is not a foregone conclusion.

Opta Stats

Gabriel Agbonlahor has scored seven goals against Everton, more than he has mustered against any other opponent in the Barclays Premier League.

Aston Villa have won just one of the last 12 Premier League games against Everton (W1 D7 L4) and none of the last eight (D4 L4).

Christian Benteke has scored eight goals in his last seven Premier League outings.

Roberto Martinez's side have dropped more points from winning positions than any other team in the Premier League this season (19).

Aston Villa are averaging a goal every six shots under Tim Sherwood compared to one every 16 under Paul Lambert.

Key Men

Jack Grealish - Having spent almost the entirety of the current league season on the periphery at Villa, 19-year-old Jack Grealish has seized his first team opportunity with aplomb. The youngster may have averaged just 0.8 key passes per appearance thus far, but compliment this with an 82% dribble success rate (18/22) and a 91% pass completion, and the signs of him being a very capable top flight footballer are clear for all to see.

Phil Jagielka - The seasoned Everton central defender has been in tremendous form of late, however, he will face arguably his toughest opponent when the Toffees travel to Villa Park; Christian Benteke. Having found success in 64% of his headed duels thus far, while winning 1.4 tackles per game, Jagielka will be hoping to quash the man who has scored on eight occasions since Tim Sherwood's arrival.

Aston Villa, desperate for points, have seen their performances significantly improve under Sherwood. However, Everton are a different beast since their elimination from Europe. One suspects there will be little to split the two clubs come match-day. Draw.

Chris Linnell

Chris is a freelance football writer from Wiltshire, England. He is currently studying Modern History and Politics at the University of Liverpool. He has written for various other sites, including the Boot Room and Bleacher Report. His work has also featured on Eurosport.